Any Ibanez Prestige AZ Owners??

[la szum]

I thought I swore off Ibanez guitars after owning an RG750 as my main axe starting in 1989. My bad habits
and that thin neck gave me serious hand and wrist issues that forced me to give up electric guitar completely
from 1993 to 2004.

I always loved Ibanez quality (especially Fujigen) and assumed many of the modern Ibanez offerings were on the
Wizard neck spectrum. I guess I was wrong as teh AZ neck profile seems more vintage and traditional. I like. :)
Some are even calling the Made In Japan AZ series a Suhr equivalent---for not as much do-ri-me!

Anyone own one, or owned one in the past? if so what were your likes and dislikes? If you sold it, why?

Thanks.

 

[bigcupholder]

I ordered one and returned it. The neck is medium thickness but it's a D shape with big shoulders that made it felt very weird to move my thumb around. I've described it in the past as a slightly rounded 2x4. It was unlike any neck I've ever played before and I've had plenty of guitars. If you're going to order one without playing it first, make sure you're able to return it.

If you're looking for an Ibanez with a vintage neck, check out the JS model. They based the neck off of a vintage Strat that Satriani had.

 

[paisleywookiee]

After playing a Premium Indo AZ, I ordered an AZ2204N. Still waiting, they’re saying March 2023.

 

[Alex Kenivel]

I have a Prestige AZ2402. The neck is thicker than your usual Ibby but it's more of a D than a C.

I have a 7 string S with a thin wizard neck and after extended playing it can be a cramper, but not so with the AZ neck

 

[the swede]

I had the TQM1 for a while, which is an AZ Prestige. Honestly, thoose are fantastic guitars. I’d say that the normal AZ’s are just as good. Loved the neck on the TQM. It was very comfortable to me, the depth and width suited my hands.
Sold it because i needed the money back… it was the finest guitar I ever have owned and I won’t ever own such a guitar again.

 

[Jarick]

I thought I swore off Ibanez guitars after owning an RG750 as my main axe starting in 1989. My bad habits
and that thin neck gave me serious hand and wrist issues that forced me to give up electric guitar completely
from 1993 to 2004.

I always loved Ibanez quality (especially Fujigen) and assumed many of the modern Ibanez offerings were on the
Wizard neck spectrum. I guess I was wrong as teh AZ neck profile seems more vintage and traditional. I like. :)
Some are even calling the Made In Japan AZ series a Suhr equivalent---for not as much do-ri-me!

Anyone own one, or owned one in the past? if so what were your likes and dislikes? If you sold it, why?

Thanks.

I have an AZ2204N that I got last year.

It's an amazing guitar, absolutely top notch quality. The stainless frets in particular are extremely well done. The setup was so good I didn't even touch the action or pickup height for several weeks. The hard case is also really good quality.

The neck shape is going to be a love it or hate it thing. I'll agree with other posters, it's very unique and I haven't felt anything like it. It's definitely like a slightly thicker D shape, a little blocky feeling. I find it comfortable but would prefer it to be slightly more C shaped in a perfect world. But I prefer it to flat and skinny necks, such as the Charvel I had beforehand.

The pickups sound pretty good to me but they are more vintage style in this particular one. Switching is very versatile if that's your thing. Others have hotter pickups. The hardware is really good quality as well, on par with the Gotoh 510 stuff you find on Suhrs. Playability is great and tuning is rock solid, especially on this one as it does not have a floating tremolo cut so it sits decked (which I prefer). The humbucker one is cut for floating trem which I did NOT like on my Chavel.

A couple drawbacks...on mine, both pots got really scratchy and cut out after just a few months, so I replaced with CTS pots. They are using mini Alpha pots which are a bit cheap build. But that wasn't a big deal for me. Another is that the tuners are the auto locking Gotoh which are a bit of a pain when changing strings compared to thumb wheel locking tuners. I'll probably swap mine out at some point.

One other thing is I wish they sold factory pickguards aftermarket, because I'd like to try swapping pickups without gutting everything. There's some on Etsy but I've heard they are hit or miss for fitting.

 

[Alex Kenivel]

would prefer it to be slightly more C shaped in a perfect world. But I prefer it to flat and skinny necks, such as the Charvel I had beforehand.

Agree 100%. My PRS S2 has a nice deep C shape that I love, a little deeper than my MIM strat but the AZ neck isn't bad either. I picked up one of those Charvel's at a store and instantly put it down after feeling the little neck.

on this one as it does not have a floating tremolo cut so it sits decked (which I prefer). The humbucker one is cut for floating trem which I did NOT like on my Chavel.

One other thing is I wish they sold factory pickguards aftermarket, because I'd like to try swapping pickups without gutting everything. There's some on Etsy but I've heard they are hit or miss for fitting.

My dilemma was that I like the versatility of a two-HB guitar (with splits) and a decked trem so I installed a tremol-no in my AZ.

 

[Alex Kenivel]

After playing a Premium Indo AZ, I ordered an AZ2204N. Still waiting, they’re saying March 2023.

I had mine ordered around August and got it in December, 2021

 

[la szum]

Thanks guys. That PHAT neck is a lot of what intrigues me about the AZ line.

 

[Jarick]

Agree 100%. My PRS S2 has a nice deep C shape that I love, a little deeper than my MIM strat but the AZ neck isn't bad either. I picked up one of those Charvel's at a store and instantly put it down after feeling the little neck.




My dilemma was that I like the versatility of a two-HB guitar (with splits) and a decked trem so I installed a tremol-no in my AZ.

Yep I've got a PRS S2 as well and that deep C is comfy. My hands adjust to the neck shape before too long anyway.

the Charvel DK24 that I had was a nice trial run before getting the Ibanez. I liked the jumbo frets, satin roasted maple neck, and overall body shape. But I did not like the floating trem, neck humbucker, skinny neck, and generally horrible fret finishing of the Charvel. The Ibanez scratched nearly every itch, although I would not mind a 24 fret version.

I was lucky to find a "blemished" AZ on Reverb, so I ordered and got it within a few days. The "blemish" is a slight finish crack at the neck joint which is inevitable, and the guitar still looks practically new.

 

[the swede]

But the thing with the AZ necks, at least the prestige I had, was its silky smooth feeling. I bet there was a samurai guitar maker in that factory rubbing his ass cheeks on that neck until perfection…

So good… that I just had to order the closest thing I could get for my telecaster from warmoth and it’s almost as good, except the fretboard edges are definitely not as good rounded off as the prestige neck.

 

[Baba]

I had the Premium version of the AZ, and I liked it a lot. I'm definitely more of a C shape guy, but the SS frets and neck were soooooo smooth, I could do whatever I wanted to, on it.

Ultimately, my need for stoptails/drop tuning, and love for the tone of 24.75" scale guitars drove me to trade it for something else, but I do miss it.

 

[paisleywookiee]

I had mine ordered around August and got it in December, 2021

That’s good. Hopefully it’ll be earlier than 3/23, though I’ve got a Q52 that I ordered in August 2021, and it still isn’t here.

 

[la szum]

But the thing with the AZ necks, at least the prestige I had, was its silky smooth feeling. I bet there was a samurai guitar maker in that factory rubbing his ass cheeks on that neck until perfection…

So good… that I just had to order the closest thing I could get for my telecaster from warmoth and it’s almost as good, except the fretboard edges are definitely not as good rounded off as the prestige neck.

Haha! "Ass-cheek rubbed" neck should definitely be a thing.

 

[paisleywookiee]

Haha! "Ass-cheek rubbed" neck should definitely be a thing.

I guess he’d swipe it down the crack like a big credit card?

 

[Jarick]

Haha! "Ass-cheek rubbed" neck should definitely be a thing.

Factory tour videos would have to be flagged NSFW

 

[Jarick]

I had the Premium version of the AZ, and I liked it a lot. I'm definitely more of a C shape guy, but the SS frets and neck were soooooo smooth, I could do whatever I wanted to, on it.

Ultimately, my need for stoptails/drop tuning, and love for the tone of 24.75" scale guitars drove me to trade it for something else, but I do miss it.

My Strat needs new frets, and my PRS is probably going to need some in a couple years. I'm going to find the best local shop and bring in my Ibanez and ask if they can match them. The fret work is incredible. For some reason even though they are jumbo frets they don't feel crazy big.

Also with the neck shape, I've got slightly small hands (I'm only 5'7") and it's comfortable for me. I'm not super picky and generally like medium (not too fat or skinny). The only weird thing is the shoulders are a little blocky feeling. Perfect world I'd like a little more C than D shape and a little bit deeper at the high frets but it's good to me.

 

[la szum]

This line of guitars is haunting me. I may be in trouble, friends.

 

[paisleywookiee]

This line of guitars is haunting me. I may be in trouble, friends.

I don’t think you’ll be sorry. Even the Premium I played was really nice.

 

[la szum]

If I take the plunge it will be a Prestige.


If I am gonna get wet, then I am getting wet all the way!!